No other historic racing event in the world has the same long tradition as the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. During these three days almost 60.000 people visited the “Ring” and some of them will have been surprised by the main-entrance being a complete building site as the circuit and surroundings are currently being transformed into an all-year Leisure and Business Center. The complex includes all-weather presentation and event areas as well as additional accommodation facilities (an impressive hotel and bungalow-village) in the immediate vicinity of the race track, an extended range of services for corporate customers and an Indoor Attraction Centre. The total investment amounts to around 215 million Euros. Further millions will be invested in the next few years, in particular in the 80-year-old Nordschleife in order to preserve its usefulness to motor racing and industry. 
 

Trophy 100	Low Drag E-Type	Marathon500 BMW 1800Ti	Sportscar Masters winner Charlie Kemp Lola T210

This year the Historic Marathon was preceded by the Trophy 100 minutes race. Practices for both races were put together on Friday-morning. Winner of the Trophy race which had 31 participants were Michael Roock and Claudia Hürtgen (considered Germany's best female pilot) driving a Porsche 911S.  Early afternoon the gates between the Nordschleife and the Grand Prix course were removed so an impressive 27 kilometres course was created for the 500 kilometres Historic Marathon. The 113 cars set off on the Grand Prix course and left the track just before the Coca-Cola Curve to the legendary Nordschleife. Last year this 220 minutes endurance race was cancelled because of thick fog and also this year the unpredictable Eiffel-climate caused some problems for the drivers. At the start the Grand Prix course had just dried up from the showers that morning but at the Nordschleife heavy showers made the tarmac very slippery.Former German world rally champion Walter Röhrl showed his skills during these difficult conditions as his lap times were over one minute faster than those of his rivals. Unfortunately, he had to stop before the finish of the race.The lead was taken by Dutchmen Michiel Campagne and Allard Kalff in a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. After almost 2 hours George Huber and Martin Stretton (Low Drag E-Type) took the lead which they maintained until the stopping of the endurance race for GT and Touring Cars up to 1965. Due to exceptional incidents in the area of the “Hohe Acht”, Race Control decided to stop the race 30 minutes before its scheduled finish. In second place were Irvine Laidlaw and Simon Hadfield in the ruby red Porsche 904/6 ahead of Markus Graf von Oeynhausen in a Jaguar E-Type who was the fastest driver in the field at that moment. Into a sensational fifth overall position came Richard Shaw and the former Formula driver and Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver in the BMW 1800TI as fastest crew in a touring car.

Chevron B16 and B8	Formula Junior Brabham BT6, Lotus 27, Lotus 22	Formula Junior Lotus 22	Formula Junior Brittania and Lotus 18

Both heats of the World Sportscar masters were dominated by Charlie Kemp in a Lola T210.It’s the first season in historic motorsport for this 24 year old employee of sportscar-manufacturer Ginetta. In heat one Michael Schryver finished third but damage to the rear axle of his Chevron B8 forced him to exit the race in heat two. Irvine Laidlaw finished second in both heats.One of the most exciting races this weekend was the FIA Formula Junior race for rear-engined cars. The last lap of an exciting battle reconciled itself between this year’s leader of the European Championship Urs Eberhardt (Lotus 27), Christian Traber (ex-Francois Siffert Lotus 22) and Italian Piero Enrico Tonetti (Brabham BT6). These cars were chasing each other side by side until the finishing line. Tonetti won the race by 0.02 seconds from Eberhardt. Swissman Traber came third 0.3 seconds behind Eberhardt.
 

ORWELL start and building activities	1976 March 76S Silvio Kalb	1960 Lotus MK19, Kurtis and Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa	1950 Allard J2

A brilliant victory was achieved by Stuart Roach in the Alexis MkII-Ford (1960) in the field of the older Formula Junior Monoposti (pre-1961 and on most of them front-engined). Last year’s champion John Delane (USA) in a Lotus 18-Ford (1960) had to be satisfied with the second position. Third came Toni Goodwin in a Gemini MkII-BMC (1959) just ahead of Jason Wright (I) in a Stanguellini-Fiat (1959). This model was the first Formula Junior car made, developed by the designing engineer who participated with Maserati in the development of the 250F Grand Prix car.In addition, five times Formula 1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio supported the preparation of the Stanguellini and assisted in the tests.    

1959 Lister-Chevrolet	1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SLS Special	German Revival Chevrolet Camaro and Porsche 911	1938 BMW Neumaier 1500

In the ORWELL SuperSports, German Peter Hoffmann and Richard Piper (GB) scored victories. Both were driving a McLaren M8F-Chevrolet (1971/72). The first heat of the ORWELL SuperSports Cup was an exciting race. Former Champion Richard Piper (GB) won this race after a slip on the penultimate lap on the Dunlop turn by Peter Hoffmann. He had to let Piper take over the lead and dropped back into fourth position.  Silvio Kalb finished second in a March 76S (1976) and Doug Hart (GB) achieved third position with the one year older March 75S.On Sunday Peter Hoffmann became the winner of the second heat. Piper, the winner of the first race, didn’t have a chance to catch the German. He spun on lap eight at the end of the start and finish straight but didn't lose too much time and so was able to move up again, finishing second. Third place went to Silvio Kalb in the March 76S-BMW (1976).The endurance race for two-seater race cars and GT cars up to 1961 was the final race on Saturday and one of the most exciting and impressive heats. Otto Reedtz-Thott (DK) in his Lotus 19-Climax (1960) won by a very narrow margin (1.1 second) ahead of Irvine Laidlaw / Simon Hadfield (GB) in a Maserati 250S (1958).In third position were Christopher Keen / Richard McAlpine (GB) in a Kurtis 500S (1954). Daniel Meier (Munich) who was in the race lead with his Maserati 300S (1954) from lap four dropped back 15 minutes before the end of the race due to a damaged tyre and finally finished twelfth overall.

German Revival Chevrolet Camaro and Porsche 911	GTTC Winner Jaguar E-Type	GTTC Aston Martin DB4 GT	1965 Alfa Romeo 1600 GTC

51 fascinating competition touring cars and GT cars started the GT/TC race on Sunday divided into two heats. Sadly, fastest driver during the training session, German Georg Stummeyer wasn’t on the grid as a knock-off spinner of the rear wheel unlocked itself during the HTGT race on Saturday. The suspension of the ex-Alan Mann Ford GT40 was beyond repair for Sunday. Both heats were won by Markus Graf von Oeynhausen (team Gotcha Jaguar E-Type) followed in heat 1 by four AC Cobras !In Heat 2 (the last race of this beautiful event) the Ford GT40 entered by Larry H. Miller Racing USA  came second followed by three AC Cobras.

1957 Fiat Multipla	1960 Lotus 18 Climax	1935 Bentley 3½  Litre Low Door Vandenplas Tourer	1969  Lancia Fulvia Coupé 1.6HF Fanalone

Some interesting motorcars were on display in the Coys auction tent to attract potential buyers for the auction sales starting at 5 pm on Saturday. Manufactured in 1965 and fresh from a complete restoration at a cost in excess of 70,000 Euros was an 1965 Alfa Romeo 1600 GTC. A total production run of only 1000 in total makes this stylish convertible very rare today. No wonder this car fetched 50,000 Euros. Beautifully presented in the correct livery of green with yellow Lotus script, as raced by Ireland and Clark, and absolutely in race-ready condition was a Lotus 18 (chassis 372).  Complete with a massive file containing invoices for 372’s 100,000  Euros ‘bare-metal’ restoration, this stunning racing car wasn’t sold, highest bid was 175,000 Euros. Delivered in May 1935 to the acclaimed Hollywood actor Robert Montgomery the Bentley 3 ½ Litre Low Door Vanden Plas Tourer attracted several bidders and was finally sold for 162,000 Euros. A 1960 Rome Olympics Fiat Multipla sitting on wire wheels changed hands for 12,500 Euros. An immaculate car sold for 49,497 Euros was a Dutch registrated Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Coupé in the very rare “Fanalone” version.  Between the years 1968 and 1972 Lancia won lots of rallies with the Fulvia Coupé HF. The Fanalone works-competition cars were built with aluminium body parts, 7" inner headlamps, plastic windscreens and were equipped with a heavily tuned 1584 cc. 145 bhp engine.     

Marathon 500 pitstop Chevrolet Corvette